Chapter Fifteen: Baseless Anger

Jonah exhaled deeply upon entering the restaurant, his gaze darting all around the room until it settled on Amelia. She sat opposite Maxwell at a small, circular table towards the rear. They were engrossed in conversation, with smiles lighting up their faces.

Jonah felt a tinge of jealousy seeing how Maxwell made Amelia heartily but he ignored it because his reason for being there was important.

Making his way through the maze of tables, he felt his heart race with every step he took. He really tried to calm himself and short his emotions before he got to Amelia’s table.

When he approached their table, Amelia glanced up, her face transforming from amusement to worry.

"Jonah?" she called out, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Amelia, I have something important to discuss with you, can you spare me a minute?” Jonah requested, trying to maintain a steady tone. "I'm really sorry for interrupting but it's urgent, please.” Jonah added politely. He didn't want to upset Amanda.

Maxwell's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, his tone icy, before Amelia had a chance to respond. “What do you want jonah? Can't you see that we're talking?” Maxwell asked rudely.

Jonah held his fists tightly by his sides, trying to compose himself still. “I understand what you're saying, Maxwell, but this is important. I only need a minute.”

Maxwell rose to his feet, causing his chair to make a loud scraping noise on the floor. "Sorry, you can't have a minute. You are interrupting us.” Maxwell said to Jonah who was already getting upset.

Jonah had to remain calm for the sake of Amelia but Maxwell was not making it easy for him.

"Maxwell, hold on. Please," Amelia interrupted, glancing back and forth at the two men. "Allow him to talk, he said it's important. Then, it has to be dealt with immediately."

Maxwell clenched his jaw , his hands balled into fists. “Amelia, you don't owe him in any way. He does not get to intrude in this manner.” Maxwell replied.

“I just need a minute Amelia.” Jonah insisted.

“Leave Jonah,” Maxwell insisted.

“No, I won't.” Jonah replied, maintaining his stance.

Maxwell's jaw became taut as he moved in front of Jonah, his voice getting louder. "You heard what I said. Go away."
Maxwell suddenly pushed Jonah backwards. Jonah tripped, managing to steady himself against a nearby table, his face turning red with both anger and embarrassment. The room grew quiet as all eyes shifted to the unfolding drama. This was exactly what Amelia and Jonah were trying to avoid but Jonah wasn't ready to let himself get disrespected by Maxwell.

"Maxwell, stop!" Amelia stood in-between them. "This is not the correct approach to deal with such. It is not even the time and place."
Jonah stood tall and squared his shoulders as he felt his own anger rising. "I have no intention of fighting, Maxwell, but you're making it hard for me to remain calm."

"Perhaps you should have considered that before coming without an invitation," Maxwell retorted, pushing Jonah once more with more force.

Jonah suddenly became very angry. He struck Maxwell with his fist, making contact with Maxwell's jaw. Maxwell stumbled, then swiftly moved towards Jonah, and both men collided onto the ground, exchanging punches and grappling.

"Oh my God, stop them." A customer on another table exclaimed.

"Stop this immediately! Both of you, stop!" The noise almost overwhelmed Amelia's voice.

Within a short amount of time, the security team of the restaurant hurried to the scene. Two strong guards separated the men, restraining them as they fought to control their breathing.

One of the guards shouted, "That's okay gentleman" "You both have to exit the premises immediately."

Breathing heavily, Jonah glanced at Amelia with regret brimming in his eyes. "Amelia, I just wanted to say..." He paused, "I'm sorry, i_. I just had to inform you—"

"Jonah, I beg of you," whispered Amelia, her voice shaking. Just leave. I want you to leave right now, we'll talk about this another time. Whatever it is would wait." She said to Jonah dismissively.

Maxwell glared at Jonah while wiping a small amount of blood from his lip. "You, listen to what she says. Go away."

Jonah, feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment, nodded and took a step back. "Okay. But keep in mind, Amelia, I didn't want to get into a fight with you. You know that." Jonah said to her and walked away.

As Jonah walked out of the restaurant, Amelia turned to Maxwell, her face was etched in a mix of anger and disappointment. She took a deep breath, her voice shaking with controlled emotion. "Maxwell, I expected better from you," she said, her eyes locking onto him. "This wasn't how you should have handled things, all you had to do was listen to me, that's all."

Maxwell's expression shifted from anger to guilt, his shoulders slumping. "Amelia, I was just trying to protect our time together. He barged in and—"

"That's no excuse, save it." Amelia interrupted, her voice firm. "Jonah came here with something important to tell me, and you couldn't even give him a minute. Instead, you let your jealousy take over and caused a scene. I'm deeply disappointed in you.” Amelia lamented with regret. “He asked for just a minute and then you went all violent?"

Maxwell opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He looked down, his fists still in a ball.

Without another word, Amelia gathered her things and turned to leave. She paused at the door, glancing back at Maxwell, her eyes reflecting how disappointed she was in Maxwell. “I’ll need some time to think about this," she said quietly. "I'll call you later."

Maxwell raised his hand but Amelia dismissed it by shaking her head. She didn't want to hear anything Maxwell had to say.

With that, she walked out of the restaurant, her steps resolute, leaving Maxwell standing alone amidst the silence, drowning in the states of the people in the restaurant. The night, which had made him feel like he had a chance with Amelia now ended in regret.